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SWRPC |
February 2008 |
| Commission Highlights |
Vol. 14 - No. 2 |
Study Launched to Expand Transportation Planning
During February 2008, Planning Commission staff began a transportation planning project known as the Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) Feasibility Study for the Southwest Region. JARC is a federally funded program designed to improve access to transportation services to employment and employment-related activities for lower income individuals and to transport residents of non-urbanized areas to suburban employment opportunities. The study will engage institutional stakeholders and target service populations in a process to explore new programs with existing service providers, create new organizational structures, and facilitate grassroots responses such as car pooling and car sharing. New services and assistance will be explored in part through coordination with City Express service in Keene. The feasibility study will help to determine eligibility for JARC funding, which can be used for capital, planning and operating expenses. For more information, please contact J. B. Mack of Commission staff.
Climate Change Educational Forum
As part of the Cool Monadnock initiative there will be an opportunity for local leaders and concerned citizens to learn the most recent information regarding climate change. "Meet the Scientist" night will take place on Monday, April 7th from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the Community Room of Antioch University in Keene. Dr. Cameron Wake will speak about the latest science on climate change and on the recently completed Northeast Climate Impacts Assessment which investigates how climate may change in the next 100 years and its potential impacts on agriculture, forests, winter recreation, human health, and several other sectors. The focus will be on communicating a message that the non-scientist can understand as well as identifying the tangible effects on our daily lives as a result of climate change. The public is welcome and reservations are not required. For more information, please contact Tim Garceau of Commission staff
Travel and Tourism Database
Planning Commission staff in conjunction with the Monadnock Travel Council recently completed a Monadnock Region tourism database. The database contains more than 1,200 entries pertaining to tourist attractions in the Monadnock Region and is intended to be utilized by the Monadnock Travel Council in the development of their new website http://www.monadnocktravel.com. For more information, please contact Matthew Suchodolski of Commission staff.
Travel Demand Management for Keene and Beyond
The Planning Commission continues to facilitate a project to design and implement travel demand management strategies for the Keene Bypass Traffic-shed, which includes the City of Keene and surrounding towns. Travel Demand Management (TDM) is a set of strategies that seek to mitigate traffic congestion through reduction of vehicles and by spreading out peak hour traffic volumes. This project is part of the NH DOT Keene-Swanzey Bypass Improvement Project. In the fall of 2007, a TDM Plan for Keene was completed by the Planning Commission with guidance from the Greater Keene Travel Demand Management Advocacy Group http://www.swrpc.org/trans/TDM_Keene_2007.pdf. On February 20th, the TDM Advocacy Group reconvened to discuss the next steps in implementing the Plan. Discussions revolved around efforts to form the Advocacy Group into an independent organization and developing strategies for implementing objectives identified in the Plan. In the coming weeks, Commission staff, with the assistance of members of the Keene Cities for Climate Protection Committee, will present the TDM Plan to City Councilors, update them on existing activities and identify the importance of including TDM recommendations into the City's future decision and policy-making processes, including the upcoming revision of the Keene Master Plan. For more information, please contact J. B. Mack or Tim Garceau of Commission staff.
Spring Planning & Zoning Conference
The NH Office of Energy & Planning has announced the 15th Annual Spring Planning & Zoning Conference for Saturday, April 26, 2008. Topics will include basics for planning and zoning boards, elderly housing, economic development, energy, natural resources, planning and zoning board role plays, and more. This year's conference will take place at The Center of NH, Radisson Hotel in Manchester, NH. Registration is required. For more information or to register, visit www.nh.gov/oep or contact Michele Zydel at (603) 271-2155. The Planning Commission encourages Southwest Region towns to send staff or representatives of planning and zoning boards to this conference - it serves as a great source of information and to network with other towns who are faced with similar issues.
New EDA Representative
Planning Commission staff recently met with Alan Brigham of the U.S. Economic Development Administration. Mr. Brigham is the newly appointed Economic Development representative for New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts. He will be working closely with staff to help implement the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) for Southwest New Hampshire. For more information, please contact Matthew Suchodolski of Commission staff.
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Southwest Region Planning Commission
20 Central Square, 2nd Floor, Keene, NH 03431
Ph: (603) 357-0557, Fax: (603) 357-7440
General E-mail: admin@swrpc.org
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